Perceived organizational support in reducing emotional exhaustion and increasing citizenship behaviors of faculties: the multiple mediating effects of affective commitment

The performance of faculties has become vital in higher education institutions. The previous studies have recommended that perceptions of organizational support by faculty members, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic are related to affective commitment and emotional exhaustion, which in turn enhances and reduces their organizational citizenship behaviors respectively. This study proposes that perceived organizational support has an influence upon organizational citizenship behaviors, through affective commitment and emotional exhaustion. It also proposes that affective commitment mediates the relationship between emotional exhaustion and organizational citizenship behaviors. Using the survey method, a total of 174 responses were collected from faculty members working in both public and private universities in six Middle Eastern countries. A Partial Least Square - based Structural Modeling approach was constructed with which to test the reliability and validity of both the measurement and the structural model. The findings of the study show that affective commitment mediates the relationships between perceived organizational support, altruism and compliance behaviors, whereas it mediates the relationships between emotional exhaustion and the three organizational citizenship behaviors. However, the study results did not support a mediating role of emotional exhaustion between perceived organizational support and organizational citizenship behaviors.